Gibdock Completes Dual-fuel Conversion of Baleària’s Ro-pax Napoles

May 10, 2019 | Gibraltar | Source: Gibdock

Gibraltar’s Gibdock shipyard has completed the conversion of the Baleària ferry Napoles to operate using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel. The three-month project – possibly the most complex and demanding ever undertaken by the yard – consolidates Gibdock’s position as one of the leading refit facilities for environmentally-driven work in the Mediterranean.

The 186 metre ro-pax Napoles, which has capacity for 1,600 passengers and 1,430 lane metres of cargo, is the first of five ships that Baleària plans to convert to dual-fuel operations to comply with IMO sulphur cap regulations that come into effect January 1, 2020. Gibdock has already secured a contract to convert a second vessel, Sicilia, which is due to arrive at the shipyard later this year.

The vessel has been fitted with MAN dual-fuel engines, enabling Baleària to reduce its CO2 emissions by 9,113 tons and NOx emissions by 871 tons a year while also fully eliminating sulphur and particulate matter emissions. Baleària says carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced to the equivalent of taking 6,000 passenger cars off the road.

Richard Beards, Managing Director, Gibdock, says: ”Baleària is a longstanding client for scheduled repair and maintenance work, so it made perfect sense to carry out the conversion at Gibdock. We are delighted to have been entrusted with this landmark project, which was a first for us and for Baleària; the experience will ensure that the Sicilia conversion goes even more smoothly.”

Gibdock’s mission is to continue operating one of the best Ship Repair and Conversion facilities in the world from its key geographical location at the entrance to the Mediterranean, to deliver a quality product in a safe manner, on a timely basis.